Friday, July 18, 2008

MMRC begin clinical studies of anti-myeloma treatment

By Mass High Tech Staff

The Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium, in partnership with PDL BioPharma Inc., has begun a Phase 1 and Phase 2 study of a treatment for multiple myeloma, a type of cancer that affects plasma cells. The specific intravenous treatment of elotuzumab (Huluc63) combines an antibody with a Velcade injection to prevent multiple relapses.

The study will take place at member institutions of the MMRC, including the University of Michigan, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, University of Chicago, Hackensack University Medical Center and Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Elotuzumab targets human CS1, a cell-surface glycoprotein associated with the presence of multiple myeloma cells.

Founded in 2004, the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium is a nonprofit organization and based in Norwalk, Conn. Its mission is to work with the scientific community to accelerate the development of drugs to treat multiple myeloma. The consortium is made up of 13 member organizations, including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.